Key Takeaways:

• Kasky and his classmates used social and digital media to start a movement advocating for a cause they were passionate about, gun control.

• Kasky is proud of the movement they started, but feels badly about hurtful things that were said both by and against him.

• He feels strongly that it is important to engage in debate, and especially to debate people who disagree with you. But he also feels that it is important to remember that there is a real person behind the opinions, and that debate should always be about the issues and ideas, and not about attacking people.

Here are some examples:

Are Internet Trolls Born or Made?

• Causes:

  • Trolls usually want attention and to amuse themselves.

  • Trolls may have certain personality traits that cause their behavior (sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism).

  • They often get pleasure out of hurting people.

  • Someone's mood and the existence of other mean comments can also cause someone to troll.

  • Trolling can be contagious.

• Effects:

  • Trolling can disrupt online communities and force some platforms to disable comments.

  • Trolling causes emotional distress, particularly in groups that are targeted more than others.

In an Increasingly Polarized America, Is It Possible to Be Civil on Social Media?

• Causes:

  • Tweeting and using social media can be addictive and done compulsively.

  • It can be fun to argue and make your points.

  • Twitter's public nature allows people to just jump into an argument and pile on.

  • You can't see people's facial expressions and nonverbal language.

  • The platform's capabilities aren't enough for conversations around complicated issues.

• Effects:

  • The people involved don't get any new understanding or sharing of ideas.

  • People regret and are embarrassed about their posts.

Here are some examples:

• They came together in-person to discuss the issues with curiosity and an open mind.

• People called out the fact that a lot of news can be misleading and meant to stir people up.

• People spoke their honest opinions in a respectful way.

• People were open to new information from people they disagreed with.

• People tried to find common ground, not just points of disagreement.

Here are some examples:

What examples do you see in this scenario of uncivil discourse? What makes it uncivil?

• Zack's initial post is uncivil because it goes out of its way to target people ("SUV drivers," "selfish") rather than ideas, which is more likely to lead to people being offended than productive debate.

• Olivia's responses are also uncivil because she uses insulting language ("#dosomeresearchfirst") and name calling ("uninformed loudmouths").

Take the perspective of one of the characters in the scenario, Zack or Olivia. What could he or she have done differently to make the conversation more civil? How could being COOL have helped him or her?

• Zack could have been more civil by only focusing on the ideas, not the people (the second "O" in COOL). He also could have been a better listener ("L") and thought about the experiences and feelings of people who drive SUVs.

• Olivia could have been more civil by focusing just on the ideas and not resorting to name-calling (the second "O" in COOL). She also could have been more open-minded (the first "O") by asking Zack to say more about the research he's done.